1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transendoscopic suturing method. For example, this invention relates to a method for suturing a perforation formed in a wall of a hollow organ.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of performing a treatment in a body of a patient, the treatment can be performed by incising the body of the patient by a surgical operation, or by an oral endoscopic treatment or a transanal endoscopic treatment. In the case of using an endoscope, the treatment can be performed by putting through a channel of the endoscope a forceps, high-frequency treatment instrument, incision instrument, or suturing apparatus. In the case of using an endoscope inserted in the lumen from a natural opening of a living body such as, for example, the mouth or anus to perform a medical treatment in the abdominal cavity, tissue is resected from the abdominal cavity or incised to form a hole, through which the medical treatment is carried out by moving the endoscope from the lumen to the abdominal cavity. After the end of the medical treatment, the formed hole is sutured by using a suturing apparatus.
A method for suturing a perforation formed in a hollow organ is disclosed in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, and FIGS. 5A to 5C of U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,536. According to this method, a flexible endoscope is inserted into the vicinity of the perforation via the mouth or the anus. Ambient tissue is aspirated by a tube of the flexible endoscope. An O-ring equipped at the outside of the tube is pushed out from the tip of the tube, and the aspirated tissue is clamped by the O-ring.
According to a suturing method shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-601, the tissue is drawn into an overtube, and a needle is penetrated from the proximal end to the distal end of this tissue. From the inside of the needle, an anchor with a suture thread is pushed out to the distal end of the tissue. After that, the needle is drawn out, and thereby the suture thread penetrates into the tissue, and tightens up the tissue.